Report Number 5405
by Moiranne Rose
Summary: Challenge Fic 29/51: Why do I hide? Because then no one will know that I kill, assassinate and kidnap, of course. Turk Angst.


**Challenge Fic Topic: Why do you always have to hide?**

**Title: Report Number 5405**

**Summary: Challenge Fic 29/51: Why do I hide? Because then no one will know that I kill, assassinate and kidnap, of course. Angst. What I do best.  
**

* * *

Today, as I count in my head mentally, I've assassinated two people and beaten up three, not to mention killed enough monsters to clear the slum area for redevelopment. Yet none of them know who got them before they saw a pair of fists and lights going out.

No one knew that they'd been knocked out by a Turk. No one knew that his name was Rude. No one in the world even knew who he was, other than another person on the street. And I've reconciled with that fact long ago.

I call up the boss and briefly report the eliminations I've made.

Ducking into a bar absently, I calmly make my way through the crowd, while I readjust my shades. I make for the counter, hasty to grab a glass of something, anything that will take me away and put me in another anonymous group of drunks. I can't say that I'm not happy with the arrangement, it's arguably better than having people shy away from my shadow.

Downing the glass, I argue whether or not to just leave after paying. Remembering my schedule, I realize, I can't afford to be drunk. I move past the crowd, that's waving fists and empty glasses, and laughing with breath laden in alcohol, and smiling stupidly in a drunken stupor, yet undeniably happy as a whole. They all knew each other, not like this stranger whose just brushed past them.

I retreat outside, to the cold gloom that seems characteristic of Midgar. I stop just at the opposite pavement, after crossing a packed, honking street without incurring any crease in my uniform. I'm about to walk off towards the towering hulk that is ShinRa Electrical Company, when I hear footsteps before whoever it belongs to rounds the corner.

Turning, I find a lady, hardly out of girlhood, maybe 18, maybe 20, who looks vaguely familiar. She smiles at me, which is unusual, and is holding out something. I suddenly remember, she's the bartender of the pub I just left. Searching my pocket and realize that I forgot to take my PHS with me when I left. I receive it, somehow awkward, and manage a thank you, before going on my way.

She calls out again, this time, I turn and wait as she runs towards me. Skidding to a stop, she looks at me. She seemingly remembers my face from the past thousand times I've stepped into that bar unnoticed. And she asks, with a kind of wisdom not known to many of her age (or was I underestimating her age?),

"Why do you always have to hide?"

And I find I have no reasonable answer. There is one I can say, that I've been hiding all my life, so the rest of my existence on Gaia can be spent the same way. I could say it's been drilled into me, for far too long. I could say it's because then I won't need to answer up to all the wrongs I've done. But what I say, seems not to be an answer at all.

"Because I have no choice."

And I leave before I can see whether she understood the cryptic meaning behind it.

* * *

After a few years, I saw her again. In battle, throwing her weight behind the cause of the resistance group AVALANCHE. She could recognize me, I saw it in her eyes. And it seemed like she was asking me the same question. Why? Why?

But again, it was not time to give her any answer. Because, I couldn't find one myself.

* * *

_After Rude wrote this down, under the column entitled "AVALANCHE members", he sat back to think. And after a short pause, he canceled out the whole page, crumpled it to throw away, and started on another page, all over again._

"_Name: Tifa Lockheart_

_Age: 20_

_This operative of AVALANCHE is highly dangerous-"_

* * *

**A/N: This is simply a reflection of Rude and Tifa's relationship during the game basically. Not exactly a pairing, but it's just for the challenge from YinYangWhiteTiger. Disregard the previous story. Thank you.**

**Moiranne Rose (still not begging)**


End file.
